A Place to Call Home
by Toonces
Summary: Kitty wants a real home, not just her rooms at the Long Branch.


Author's Notes: I am so happy that you all are enjoying these stories. Thank you very much for the feedback. It definitely helps me to want to keep writing. I certainly plan on continuing with this little "series" that I have going, but for now, this is the last of what I have already written, so it might be a minute before I post anything else. These were actually two stories at first, but they were short so I decided to combine them. Enjoy.

_Gunsmoke:_ A Place to Call Home

Kitty walked along with sure steps and her head held high, politely greeting those that she passed. There was something about her presence that just demanded respect and attention. She reeked of confidence and something about her made a person curious. She knew a lot of people in town, practically all of the men considering they regularly visited the Long Branch and she knew a lot of the women, too, but aside from Matt, Doc, and Chester, not many people knew much about her and she preferred to keep it that way. It wasn't to be standoffish, though. She was simply a private person. She had been the topic in the rumor mill plenty of times, but no one would say anything to her face. She wasn't exactly sure if that was because she was 'the marshal's woman' or because people knew that she wouldn't put up with nosey questions about her personal life. She learned fast that a lot of the people in Dodge didn't always care to hear it from the horse's mouth. Juicy gossip was better than the actual truth and she quickly learned that the men were even gabbier than the women.

Kitty continued along and finally came to her destination, the general store. "Hello, Mr. Jonas," she said as she stepped through the door. He was turned toward the back wall apparently taking stock.

"Why hello, Miss Kitty. What can I help you with today?" he asked turning around to face her.

"Well," she said digging through her handbag, "Here's my list." She handed it to him and he read it aloud. "I don't suppose my material is here yet?" she asked hopefully.

"No, not yet, but hopefully it'll be on the stage today. I'll be sure and let you know when it arrives," he said distractedly as he reached behind him and grabbed three bars of lavender scented soap placing them on the counter. He then turned and headed toward the storeroom leaving Kitty to her browsing. Her eyes scanned the counters looking over fancy writing pens, bracelets, candy, perfumes, hairbrushes, and a plethora of other items. She turned around to the counter behind her and spotted the ring case. She had been looking for another piece to match the new dress she was having made. She didn't fail to notice the wedding rings that were encased there as well. She noticed them every time she came in, but she tried not to stare at them too longingly.

She and Matt had been together for four years now and they'd had plenty of conversations about why he couldn't offer her much. She supposed she understood why he felt that way, but whether they were married or not or even simply a couple or not, it wouldn't hurt _any_ less if something were to happen to him. Kitty felt that Matt was unnecessarily denying himself a full life, but even so, he loved her and that went a long way, marriage or not. She wasn't obsessed with having to be married, although if Matt asked her she would say yes in a heartbeat. She was in love with him. It was only natural that she would want to be married to him. So engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't hear the footsteps come up close behind her.

"Hi," rumbled the deep voice close to her ear. Kitty jumped a little and turned to see Matt with a grin on his face. She naturally smiled back as he placed his large hand on her waist. "You look very pretty this morning," he complimented her.

"Good morning, Matt and thank you." They were the only ones in the store and Kitty turned her face up to him and prettily poked her lips out for a kiss. Matt gladly leaned down to accept.

"Well, you're up bright and early," he observed.

"Yeah, I needed to get some shopping done and I figured I'd get up early and beat the crowd," Kitty explained. "Mr. Jonas is in back getting some things for me." Matt was still standing close behind her and she leaned back against him enjoying his warmth. "Did you come in to get something?" she asked.

"No, I was just making my morning rounds and I saw you in here." Matt looked around and noticed that they were standing in front of the ring case. Before he had come in, he noticed that Kitty was studying something, obviously deep in thought since she didn't hear him come up and he could easily guess as to what she was thinking about. He knew how she felt, but she never pressured him to do anything. Matt knew he had a good woman and that he couldn't ask for better. If it weren't for his job he wouldn't even hesitate to ask her to marry him. He never considered himself a romantic, but Kitty seemed to bring it out of him. He never before wanted to be so affectionate toward someone or wanted to do so much for someone. Sure, he had courted different girls in the past, but Kitty was like no other. She was passionate about everything she did. There were so many facets to her and he was still discovering some of them. She was sexy, independent, sensitive, witty as hell, and so many other things. So why _didn't_ he ask her to marry him? Why was he so sure that he didn't warrant having a wife? He watched Kitty as she walked over to a display of gloves. Mr. Jonas chose that moment to come out of the back room.

"Hello, Marshal. Anything I can do for you?" he asked as he deposited a small sack on the counter along with three oranges, a stack of linen cloths, a half a pound of sugar, and a pound of coffee.

"No, thanks. I just stopped by to talk with Kitty."

"Can I interest you in a pair of those gloves, Miss Kitty? They arrived day 'fore yesterd'y from Boston," said Mr. Jonas as he noticed her looking them over.

"No thank you, Mr. Jonas. I think I have everything I need for now. How much is my bill?" Kitty asked as she dug through her bag for money.

"Your total comes to six dollars even."

"I'll pay for it," said Matt stepping up to the counter. Kitty looked at him pleasantly surprised as he counted out the coins.

"Why thank you, Matt."

"No problem." Mr. Jonas began putting the items in a sack. "I'll even help you carry it home," he smiled. With the order settled, they thanked Mr. Jonas, who had already gotten back to his inventory, and headed toward the Long Branch. "Oranges, huh?" asked Matt as he peeked inside the bag.

"Yeah. I figure I could use more fruit in my diet. You could, too."

"I had a glass of lemonade at Delmonico's the other day. Doesn't that count?"

"I suppose. Doc says lemons are good for the kidneys," Kitty informed him as they reached the Long Branch. She pushed the doors open for him and they headed toward the office. Sam was standing at the bar wiping out glasses. "Mornin' Sam."

"Mornin' Miss Kitty…Marshal."

"Mornin' Sam," said Matt. Kitty shut the office door behind them as Matt sat the bag on her desk. "Well, I guess I had better get back to work."

"Here. These are for you," said Kitty as she tossed him the small sack. Matt caught it and saw that they were sunflower seeds.

"Thanks. It's been a while since I had any." Kitty smiled and continued unpacking the bag. Matt watched her as his thoughts drifted back to the wedding rings. He was about to speak, but Kitty beat him to the punch.

"Matt? What would you think if I were to move out of the Long Branch and buy a house?"

"Aren't you happy here at the Long Branch anymore?" asked a surprised Matt.

"Well, my room upstairs serves its purpose, I suppose, and I know it's not very practical for me to go and buy a house, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I've feel like I've become an entity of the Long Branch," Kitty said frustrated. "I want to go to a home at the end of the night just like everyone else. I want to sleep in late if I feel like it and not have to get up because drunken cowboys are hootin' and hollerin' downstairs. I overheard someone sayin' that the old Sumner cottage was up for sale and that the bank owns it now."

Matt could see the excitement in Kitty's eyes. "Well, I don't see why not. Are you sure it's something you can afford?" he asked. He would certainly help her all he could, but being a marshal didn't pay all _that_ much.

"I've been saving ever since I came to Dodge. Besides from what I've heard, they aren't askin' for any more than three or four hundred. That's sounds pretty reasonable to me."

"Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't I come back around lunch time and we can go on over and take a look at it." Kitty smiled brightly and gave Matt a hug, glad that he seemed to support her decision.

Matt left a few minutes later and Kitty sat in her office dreaming about what she would do first once she bought the house. She might have to take some time off from the Long Branch at first so she would have time to fix the place up, but she was sure that she could trust Sam to look after things for her.

Kitty shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to get too ahead of herself, but it was hard not to be excited. Matt seemed to be pretty excited for her as well. He had always supported her decisions and her independence and she was glad that she had found such an open minded and self-assured man. Most men would have felt threatened by her self-sufficient endeavors, but not Matt. Besides, she thought with a smile, her buying a home would probably benefit him as much as it would her. He would have someplace to sleep if he wanted besides that old cot in the jail. Hearing the early crowd begin to come in, Kitty grabbed the stack of cloths she had bought for behind the bar and headed back into the main room to get to work.

It was approximately a five minute walk from the Long Branch to the cottage. Matt and Kitty stood in front assessing the damages. The cottage had been empty for about two years and surprisingly it was still in pretty good shape. It was also in a very good location, just a hop, skip and a jump from the main part of town, but still enough out of the way for privacy. The house was white with black shutters. A small white fence with a broken down gate surrounded it and a rusty looking pump stood near the side of the house. There were two overgrown bushes on either side of the gate and obvious spots where the flowerbeds were.

"Come on. Let's take a look at the back," said Matt as he placed a guiding hand on Kitty's back. They made their way around and saw more dried up flowerbeds on the side of the house. Once in the back, they noticed a tiny shed that had some old buckets and shovels stacked on the outside of it. There was a short clothesline and a small spot for a garden also.

"This isn't half bad," said Kitty happily as she walked over to a window and peeked inside. Matt came and stood right behind her peeking into the window above her head. He then went and tried the doorknob. The door creaked open--nothing a little oil on the hinges couldn't fix--and Matt stepped inside followed by Kitty. The inside was dusty as expected and it was pretty well cleared out except for a pile of old rags in a corner. A two-eyed oven sat in the kitchen along with an indoor pump and sink that would come in very handy, and a table with four chairs. There was a fireplace in the sitting room. The bedroom held an empty rod iron bed frame and a small table that sat next to the head of the bed. There was also a medium sized washroom. "Well, what do you think?" asked Kitty as they made their way back to the kitchen.

"I think that I can't wait to see you try out this stove," joked Matt as he peeked inside the oven. Kitty poked him in the side. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her seriously.

Kitty turned and looked him in the eye. "I'm sure. It's kinda scary you know? I'm a woman. I'm not supposed to be able to do these things for myself. I'm supposed to get married and have babies for a living. There's nothing wrong with that I suppose. I have no problems with marriage…or babies, but it's nice to be able to have the choice," finished Kitty reflectively. Matt watched her fondly.

"You're right," Matt said taking off his hat and fiddling with the edges, "…and in case I don't say it enough, I'm proud of you, Kitty." She walked over to him clearly touched and put her arms around him. Matt hugged her back and bent to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, Matt. That means everything to me." Kitty sniffled a little and pulled back enough to look at Matt. "Now you've gone and made me cry," she teased. Matt leaned down and kissed her deeply. He then pulled her back into the hug and held her tightly. He wished they could stay like that all day, but he knew he needed to get back to work. "Matt?" Kitty whispered softly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know…I love you, too, Kitty."

Three Months Later

Kitty wiped down the counter while Sam swept and put the chairs on top of the tables. It was nearing one o'clock in the morning and the Long Branch had only closed ten minutes ago. It had been a busy night and it seemed like every man in town was holed up there. The only person that she hadn't seen all night was Matt. He usually stopped by to at least make his rounds, but tonight there was no sign of him. Chester had said that he was down at the jailhouse doing paperwork when he left. Kitty thought about going to check on him, but decided against it, figuring that he would come and see her before the night was through.

"Alright Sam, I think we can call it quits for tonight," said Kitty as she grabbed her handbag from behind the bar. She was practically dead on her feet and she still had to walk home.

"Would you like me to walk you home, Miss Kitty?" asked Sam.

"Thanks Sam, but I think I can manage. You go on home and get some rest," Kitty instructed as she put on her wrap. They exited the side door together and came up through the alley. With a final goodnight, they went their separate ways.

The temperature had dropped considerably and Kitty pulled her wrap tighter around her neck. As she came upon the jail she could see that there was a lamp on inside. She knew Chester wouldn't be there because lately he had been sleeping at the boarding house, so Matt must have still been awake. She softly pushed the door open and stepped inside to find him napping on the cot. He was still fully clothed and his hat was sitting on his face.

"Matt?" she called softly as she approached.

"Mm," he moaned still asleep.

"Matt, wake up," Kitty said bending down and touching his shoulder. He awoke with a small start and looked up sleepy eyed at her.

"Kitty, what are you doing here? You should be at home by now."

"Well, we ran a little late tonight," Kitty explained tiredly as she sat down on the cot next to him as he sat up. She ran her fingers through his mussed up hair. "Besides, I was hoping that a certain someone would have come to walk me home," Kitty teased as she rested her head on his shoulder. Matt wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand resting on her hip.

"Sorry about that. I got caught up in all the paperwork. I had every intention of stopping by to see you, but I decided to take a little nap and I guess that turned into a big nap. But, I'm available now if you'll have me." Matt smiled and gave Kitty a squeeze.

"Well, I suppose I can forgive you this time, but we'd better hurry along or you're gonna have to carry me home," Kitty replied yawning. They both stood and Matt went over to turn down the lamp. He bolted the front door and they left out of the side door locking it behind them. Kitty linked her arm through Matt's and they were on their way.

Soon enough they reached the cottage. Matt took the key from Kitty and unlocked the door. He stepped through and went to the table to light the lamp. Kitty locked the door behind them and began removing her wrap. It had been nearly three months since she moved into the place and so far she had spent nearly one hundred dollars on supplies. The cost of the house plus the cost of supplies had put a small dent in her bank account, but she was sure that she would be able to replenish it in due time. Business was good. Matt had spent as much time as he could helping her fix things up as did Chester and Doc. The house was very well built with insulated walls, a good roof and meticulously laid and finished floors. It was a wonder as to why it was sold for so cheap considering all of the work that went into it. The walls in the kitchen and sitting room were painted a cream color while the bedroom was decorated with light green wallpaper with tiny golden specks. It wasn't decorated too fancy, but that was how she wanted it, nice and cozy. Kitty had gotten a new mattress and she had the dresser from her room at the Long Branch, which she still kept, hauled over. She had stocked up on a few provisions for the kitchen such as fruit, a small supply of meat: bacon, sausage, and jerky for Matt when he had to take long trips--beans, eggs, potatoes, onions, flour, sugar, and coffee. She hadn't done too much cooking aside from breakfast since moving in, but it was nice to know that she had some supplies in case she needed to and an option other than going to Delmonico's all of the time. The first night that she was settled, she'd cooked a nice roast dinner for Matt, Doc, Chester, and herself. After everyone left she and Matt had snuggled on the couch with some brandy.

"You want me to light a fire?" asked Matt. It was chilly inside.

"That'd be nice." Kitty said as she began pulling her shirt from her long skirt. Matt piled some logs and kindling inside the fireplace and struck a match. Soon, a toasty fire was blazing. He then followed Kitty who had wandered into the bedroom.

"I guess I should be heading back," he said knowing very well he didn't want to. Kitty had changed into a cream colored gown with a matching robe and her long hair was down.

"You know you don't have to, Matt. I know how it might look to some people, but you can stay here as much as you want whether I'm here or not. I bought this place so I could have a real home of my own, but I want you to feel at home here, too," Kitty finished almost shyly. Matt watched her as she spoke and he was charmed. He reached out for Kitty's hand and brought it up for a kiss.

"Thanks Kitty…and you know I don't care what other people think," Matt said knowing that she was referring to them not being married. "It isn't about them. It's about you and me…and as long as you'll have me, I'll be here."

The End


End file.
